Effective September 28, 2023, the Finnish Immigration Service will carry out post-decision monitoring of the residence permits of degree-level students to check whether the holder still meets the requirements for the permit.
- Holders of residence permits granted since June 1, 2022, will be monitored to check whether they have started their studies, are making progress in their studies and have a valid right to study, among other criteria.
- The automatic post-decision monitoring is based on automatic register checks. The Finnish Immigration Service can run register checks on different national registers.
- Based on the results of the register checks, officials of the Finnish Immigration Service will assess whether the requirements for a residence permit are still met and decide whether to withdraw the permit, on a case-by-case basis.
If a permit holder’s residence permit is withdrawn, the holder has 30 days from the date they receive the decision to request a review of the decision. Usually, the holder’s right to work remains, and they can reside in Finland until their request for review is processed.
Erickson Insights
The legislation covering students’ residence permits was amended in 2022, so that a residence permit for studies is granted for the entire duration of the studies and students do not necessarily need to apply for an extended permit at any point. Before the legislative amendments, the requirements for the permit were checked when students applied for an extended permit.
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.